TEMBO THE BADASS ELEPHANT Reviews
Tembo The Badass Elephant is a high quality, gorgeous, fun, and challenging 2D platformer that I'm happy to recommend.
Regular jarring difficulty spikes sap the joy from this otherwise colourful and inventive platformer.
From out of nowhere, Game Freak has surprised everyone with a fun platformer that is not only inspired from the classics such as Sonic, Mario, Yoshi, and more, but manages to combine them in new and refreshing ways. Tembo has attitude, but unlike Sonic, he doesn't speak. He can jump and stomp enemies, but unlike Mario, Tembo doesn't die in a measly one or two hits. Tembo can also hover for a few moments and ground pound, but unlike Yoshi, he doesn't look like a child's play toy while doing so. These things and more make Tembo one badass elephant indeed.
It's fun to furiously trumpet and get to smashin' stuff as Tembo for a while, but before too long you're reduced to hoping he makes his way over to a better sequel – or possibly the Virtua Fighter roster.
Despite some of its more questionable gameplay choices, however, excellent presentation combined with tight controls make Tembo a terrific start for what hopefully ends up being a new franchise. If you're itching for some classic 2D platforming in the vein of the old Sonic games and yearn for a new "badass" character, Tembo hits all the right spots.
Despite some annoying gameplay elements, Tembo the Badass Elephant is a wonderful mash-up of some of the best 2D action-adventure platformers ever released.
Tembo's style, pace and emphasis on mass destruction sets it apart from other 2D platformers, and it's almost an elephantine four tonnes of fun. While the need to replay levels to harvest points can transform it into a grind, this badass pachyderm's infectious energy gives him irresistible force.
A rock solid foundation for a new platforming franchise, Tembo the Elephant is exhilarating when it's at its best, but its heavy challenge and need to repeat levels can be frustrating.
Tembo the Badass Elephant is made even more frustrating by the fact that it doesn't flat out suck. There's a solid sidescroller in here, but Game Freak's taken it in the wrong direction. This should have been an adventure all about momentum, but it does everything within its power to pump the brakes. Give this wide load a wide berth – it's made itself irrelephant.
Overall, Tembo feels like a badass-tribute to Sonic the Hedgehog. It should have taken a few more pages out of the Blue Blur's playbook though in order to create a more complete experience that honored Sonic's legacy with consistent gameplay that focused on its strengths rather than constantly shining a spotlight on its weaknesses.
If what you want is a fun and simple platformer, then look no further than Tembo. The whole game has a fun, nostalgic feel to it from start to finish, and the civilians and phantom enemies as collectibles give you a reason to go back and play the levels again. The game is never too easy or too hard, but, at the same time, it doesn't really challenge you too much in any way. For the price, Tembo the Badass Elephant definitely gives you your money's worth in a short but enjoyable experience. If you don't take it too seriously, then there is a lot of enjoyment to be had here, because an elephant never forgets - to have fun and be a Badass!
Tembo the Badass Elephant has an awesome name, and the game play to match. The only drawback is the archaic progression system. Those looking for a quick romp with hints of masochism for perfect runs should definitely check it out. The charm and pitch-perfect game play are more than worth the price of admission.
That retro approach is Tembo's greatest strength – and weakness. While levels are impressively designed, and the task of defeating every enemy soldier and finding each citizen adds a satisfying challenge, it also feels like a remix of titles you'll have already played. Fantastic animation and great visual humour provide saving graces.
Tembo could have been great, but sadly it's a game in which you're made to crawl over the line instead of gloriously smash through it.
A platformer in the mould of the Sonic-games of old, and as such, well worth your time and money.
Try it if you have found modern platforming games to be too "soft."
Tembo the Badass Elephant could have been so much more than what is offered. SEGA seemed to be searching for a successor to Sonic with Tembo but at the same time wanted to get a piece of the market for particularly hard games, forgetting to make it fair at the same time. It is an incredibly nice looking and sounding game, and when everything falls into place Tembo is a joy to play, but these instances are rare. The poor control scheme mixed with stupidly hard late levels, which almost caused me to destroy my controller, take major points away from what could have been a promising game.
Tembo: The Badass Elephant may be a bit short and straightforward, but the gameplay is solid and the destruction is satisfying. Game Freak has played to their strengths and designed a character that feels immediately iconic. We hope to see more from Tembo in the future as this powerful pachyderm is popping with potential.
Tembo the Badass Elephant is a really enjoyable game at its core, but it can get tiring to replay the same stage five times over just to grind out a few kills to see the next set of levels. It's an odd design choice for sure, but most of you will probably enjoy dashing through unsuspecting Phantom Soldiers and butt stomping them into oblivion regardless.
Tembo the Badass Elephant is a surprising new direction for Game Freak that pays off